Blast from the past: The backyard bomb shelter that still has food left in it 50 years after it was built to protect against end of world

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Americans, nervous about the possibility of a nuclear war, sought ways to survive an attack.

Some took the safety of their families into their own hands by building a nuclear fallout shelter in the backyard, like in the 1999 Hollywood film, Blast from the Past.

Although the backyard bomb shelter was more the stuff of fiction than reality, the DeLage family of Clifton, New Jersey, were among those who actually built one. And it still exists today, 50 years on.

Cold War: During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Americans, nervous about the possibility of a nuclear war, sought ways to survive an attack

Precaution: Although the backyard bomb shelter was more the stuff of fiction than reality, the DeLage family of Clifton, New Jersey, were among those who actually built one and it still exists today, 50 years on

No luxuries: The toilet, pictured, was nothing more than a wooden box with lime in it

Family: The DeLage family, pictured, still have a shelter in their backyard

The shelters cost about $2,500 to install, a very hefty sum back then, and came in various sizes and security levels. They were constructed using a big steam shovel to dig up the backyard. A giant metal tank was then flat-bedded in.